528 



the Atlantic Ocean, the Llanos or plains of the 

 Amazon rise only 194 toises *. What most 

 characterizes the groupe of the mountains of 

 Parime are the rocks of granite and gneiss-gra- 

 nite, the total absence of calcareous secondary 

 formations, and the shelves of bare rock (the 

 Tsy of the Chinese deserts), which fill on the 

 surface, immense spaces in the savannahs \. 



£ . Groupe of the Mountains of Brazil. 

 This groupe has hitherto been figured on the 

 maps in as singular a manner as the mountains 

 of the Iberian Peninsula, Asia Minor and Persia. 

 The temperate table-lands and real chains of 

 300 to 500 toises high, have been confounded 

 with countries excessively hot, and of which 

 the undulating surface presents only ranges of 

 hills variously grouped. The excellent baro- 

 metric measures of Baron Eschwege, director 

 general of the gold mines in the province of 

 Minas Geraes, and the observations made in 

 different parts of Brazil, by the prince of Neu- 

 wied, MM. Auguste de Saint Hilaire, Ol- 

 fers, Spix, Pohl, and Marti us, have recently 

 thrown great light on the orography of Portu- 

 gueze America. The mountainous region of 

 Brazil, of which the mean height rises at least 



* Vol. vi, p. 395. 



f Vol. iv, p. 552 ; and v, p. 26. 



